Assigned to the 14th Aviation Battalion and supported Special Forces A" Teams in I and II Corps

3508AF - 52nd Transportation Battalion (Transport Aircraft)

Stationed at Fort Ord, California

3508AF - 52nd Transportation Battalion (TRANS ACFT) Vulcan Cigarette Lighter dated 1961 - 1963, engraved to a CWO who had been a Major and was apparently RIFFED, probably never fired-up, Used.......inquire

After the 1st Cavalry Division returned to CONUS in March 1971 all existing assets of the 228th AVN BN (ASHB) were reassigned to various in-country Aviation units:

A & B Companies relocated from Phuoc Vinh to "Bearcat" Base Camp north of Bien Hoa in III Corps.

HHC was absorbed into "Charlie" Company (the HHC types remained with C Company for the remainder of their tours) and moved in March 1971 to Camp Holloway, Pleiku and assigned as "C/228th Assault Support Helicopter Company" to the 52nd CAB, 17th CAG, 1st Aviation Brigade.

(note: C/228th ASHC personnel used "C Co. 52nd Avn Bn" as their return address on mail home! This discrepancy was never resolved.)

And now we pause while the above is disputed in Black and White.

I have seen these Orders and his 201 File log.

His 201 file in the "Effective Dates" & "ASSIGNMENTS" columns reads:

"23Sept71" "CO C/228TH AVN BN USARPAC_VN (Redes)"

"3Oct71" "68th Avn Ci USARPAC-VN" (the "Ci" should read CO)

The HEADING on his Orders, dated 4 December 1971, reads:

"DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY

68TH AVIATION COMPANY (ASH), 52ND AVIATION BATTALION (CBT)

APO San Francisco 96494"

When the Veteran was first assigned to this Camp Holloway Chinook Company it was still called C/228th

Patch

The "Winged Warriors" (motto for the 228th ASHB, 1st Cavalry Division) was shorten to "Warriors" by the Company "Brass" and incorporated into the new patch designed in April, 1971. This design depicts a Knight in Armor, holding a lance and shield (with the 1st Cavalry Division patch on it), riding the "back" of a "Chinook" caricature, snorting smoke from its nostrils and carrying a Red 55 gallon drum of "FU gas" (phu gas?) which was dropped on FSBs after evacuation to prevent their use by the NVA.

Crest

A new "crest" (see picture below) was created for "C Co. 52nd Avn. Bn" personnel ONLY; based on the April 1971 patch design.

The man that did the artwork said C/228th ASHC personnel were not permitted to wear the 52nd CAB "Dragon" DI so a distinctive "crest" was designed for "C" Company.

Beercan picfile provided by the Patch Designer

( large size = 1 1/8" )

Beercan DI NOT for Sale!

( This History was contributed by a member of C/228th ASHC, circa 1971-1972 )

First known as the "AVENGERS", this callsign was in conflict with another Unit's nickname and the "GLADIATORS" was adopted

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The Crown Jewel of the 57th AHC patches with the Original Callsign

57th AHC 'AVENGERS' original Callsign Patch, made in USA, UnUsed......inquire

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"Gladiators"

57th AHC "GLADLATORS"(sic), Vietnam made, UnUsed.......inquire

("59th" should read 57th AHC.....nice variation)

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57th AHC "Team Cougar"

Cobra Gun Platoon

This was the Mercury Cougar Racing Team's patch and the Guns Platoon received permission to use it.

Vietnam made, tape residue on back, UnUsed.....inquire

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I am searching for a "Night Hawks"; if you have an extra one, send a JPEG picfile (front and reverse).

57th Assault Helicopter Company "Night Hawks", I think they were in I or II Corps AO(?)

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partial History

57th Aviation Company(FW) Relocated to the RVN in December 1965 flying CV-2s (Caribou) out of Vung Tau, RVN; their CV-2s were given to the USAF in the Summer of 1967.

The 57th Aviation Company was Reorganized and Activated at Fort Bragg, North Carolina in the fall of 1967 as the 57th Assault Helicopter Company.

The 57th AHC Reloctaed to the RVN circa October 1967 and Assigned to the 1st Aviation Brigade, 17th Combat Aviation Group, 52nd Combat Aviation Battalion ("FLYING DRAGONS") and were stationed at Kontum in MR2(II CORPS). They later moved to An Khe & Camp Holloway AAF (Pleiku) before standing down in March 1973.

Headquarters & Headquarters Company, 58th Transportation Battalion, large 5" Viet ME, unit arrived in-country April 11, 1966 and departed April, 1972, served in Saigon for Supply and Maintenance for ALL Army Aircraft and then moved North to Danang in February 1968 to support I Corps, UnUsed...........inquire

In 1972 the unit had a "SNAKE" Platoon but it was not co-located with the Lift Platoons

It is believed this AH-1 platoon did not have the TOW Weapons System

additional info from a Veteran (email 110316)

“I was with the Ghost Riders (60th AHB) at Ninh Hoa from the last of August until mid November of 1972. I was transferred there when they sent the 1st Calvary home (or the colors, no one I knew went home). We were a Cobra unit and wore the Ghost Rider patch that you show(above) on the front of one shoulder and a coiled Cobra on the other.

We were called the "Snake" platoon and we did not have TOW weapons on the Cobras while I was with them. We had two 2.75 LSFFAR pods on each stub wing and a 40mm grenade launcher and mini gun in the turret. We had six Cobras: one down for maintenance, two were sent to Pleiku each day to support them, and three were used to support the Korean White Horse Division's Operations. We would load our Huey's down with Rockets, 40mm, and 7.62s and set up turn around sites for the Cobras that were supporting the Koreans. It was a good duty assignment, the Koreans did all of the guard duty and stuff like that. All we had to do was keep the birds flying.”

from another Veteran

From September 1972 to February 1973 a "SNAKE" Platoon (Cobras) was co- located with the lift helicopters.

( If you know more/different history let me know and I will post it )

( There is a lot of confusion over the name "Ghost Riders" and what units used the name )

( see this site for info http://www.1stavnbde dot com/17cag/10th_Combat_Aviation_Battalion.html )

Cat's Eye design is similar to the design on the Prop Covers of the 220th RAC YO-3As

This could be a Factory Patch made in-country or just used by one unit(?).

History of the YO-3A usage by the 73rd and 220th Companies is very sketchy.

Between 11 - 15 aircraft were made; conflictions abound to include the statement that an Army Security Agency Unit flew YO-3As (which I believe is strange as the aircraft does not have intercept capabilities)

YO-3As were flown out of Long Thanh North and Phu Bai Army Air Fields, Vietnam made, UnUsed........inquire

(scrapbook residue on back)

The Army started development of a new surveillance aircraft (based on the Schweizer SGS-2-32) for use in Vietnam in April 1967 with the Lockheed Missiles and Space Company (LMSC); in September 1967 the "quiet airplanes" were deployed to Vietnam for evaluation; this experimental aircraft was a modified glider with a wooden propeller flying low over the terrain conducting visual reconnaissance & post-strike assessments. While judged to be a potential RECON asset; many improvements were recommended; LMSC then developed the YO-3A (aka: "Quiet Aircraft", "Bat Plane", Quiet Star", etc.)

In 1970 the refined YO-3A was deployed to Vietnam with the 73rd and 220th Aviation Companies

( I was told Battery rosters have been searched and no entry of a surname of Maulen has been found; I assume the word is French or Vietnamese or a very corrupted English word such as "mauling" or etc. )

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I have had the word "MAULEN" translated by a French and a Vietnamese speaker:

This Hookers patch design was worn by a Reserve CH-47 Chinook unit, post-Vietnam. This is the First Design and was worn when it was a Transportation Company and an Aviation Company. This design was changed in the late-1980s when the Regimental system came-in. The Unit still call themselves the "Hook-ers".

92nd Aviation Company "Any Time Any Thing Any Where", Vietnam made, flew CV-2Bs (1964-66) until they were turned-over to the Air Force in 1967, supported the 5th Special Forces in I and II Corps, removed from shirt, soiled, Used...(sold)